Dial for combination-locks.



W. T. BENHAM.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1913.

, 1,174,o 1 1, Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

ITNESSES:

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH .60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

ran STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y

WILLIAM T. BENHAM, OF RISING SUN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NYDIA BANKLOCK COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A COR ?ORA'IEION OF OHIO.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION-LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed February 28, 1913. Serial No. 751,248.

Locks, of which the following is a specificati on.

My improvements relate to dials for combinat on locks, such as areordinarily used on safes, file cases and the like. These improvementsare inexpensive, may be attached to combination locks already in use,

and make it so easy for any one who knows the combination to run it,with or without light, that it will prove a great advantage andconvenience in all places where combination locks are now used, and willgreatly extend their field of usefulness. Doors for buildings or specialrooms therein of all sorts may be fitted with such combination locks togreat advantage.

My improvements consist fundamentally of a rotatable dial havingsuitable gage notches, which notches may be either on the front or theback of. the dial, and a plurality of indicators adapted to contact withthese notches as they pass the indicators in the rotation of the dialatthe will of the operator. These indicators are so constructed as to benormally out of operative contact with the dial but held in contact bymanual pressure and indicate by the sense of touch the passage over gagemarks, in running the combination. These improvements may be soconstructed and applied to the ordinary dial as not to interfere withthe running of the combination by sight, as at present.

The indicators are mounted upon or in connection with the stationarydial rim. and have nothing to do with the rotation of the dial, nor havethey any'other function than to enable the operator to read the gage bytouch or hearing, or both, according to the way the indicator and gagemay be constructed. If the dial is numbered at all, I prefer to numberthe gage marks each way from zero, as this is the method of counting.and running any given combination used with my improvements. LettersPatent Number 1,113,865, issued to me October 18, 1914, sets forth thedetails of this system of numbering dials. It will be understood that asystem of elevations corresponding with the depressions may be used mlieu of the latter, if preferred.

My invention is illustrated in the accom- I panving drawings, in which,p

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lock dial, with my improvementsapplied tothe under side of the dial, and a separate indi 'cator eachfor zero, units and groups of ten units respectively. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation sectioned on the line ww of Fig. 3,"through the rim. showingan under plan View of the dial and indicators. 1 Fig. 3 is a partialcross section ofthe dial and rim showing one of the indicating levers inside elevation.

Referring now to the drawings, A, designates a rotatable lock dialhaving the usual knob, a, and peripheral gage, a consisting of notches,a for given units of measure of a complete rotation'being hundredths inthe present instance. The notches, a occupy corresponding andequi-distant radial positions, arranged in consecutive series concentricwith the axis of the dial plate, so as to be capable of contacting witha contact piece of a-relatively fixed indicator, as presentlyto beexplained. Each successive tenth notch is extended radially inward intoa corresponding annular space adjacent to that occupied by thehundredths notches, said ex tended notches thus constituting a new 0oncentric series of graduations representing groups of units 10, 20, 30,&c., of the orig nal,

series, and the zero mark is further extended into a correspondingannular space adjacent to the latter. annular spaces is of such size andcontour as to cause the contact piece of the appropriate indicator(hereafter to be described) to jump into and out of the notches'as thedial plate rotates, and thus indicate by the movement of the indicatorthe increments of rotation appropriate to each indicator.

In the form of my-improvement shown in Figs. 1 and'2, three indicators,U, T, Z, are employed, being levers of the first class extendinglaterally through'a suitable recess, 20, in the rim, B,'and mountedadjacent upon a common pivot, :27, secured to the fixed rim, B, beneaththe dial plate, A, so that their inner ends are held in a common radialrelation facing respectively the annular series of notches formed asabove described, at the underside of the dial plate corresponding withthose upon the face. The

Each of the notches in these.

indicators are provided respectively with leaf springs, u 25 .2 bearingagainst the fixed rim, whereby the'inner ends of the indicators arenormally held out of contact with the dial. Each indicator is providedat its inner end with a contact piece, u, t, 2, V

respectively, adapted by its contour when the indicator is depressed atits outer extremity, tocontact with the dial and jump in and out of thenotches of its appropriate series against the force of the spring andthus indicate to the sense of touch each such 1 turns to left and to50,would be worked 20 as follows: (1) press indicator Z and rotate thedisk to right until the jump of the indicator contact piece into thenotch, 0, is indicated; then continue the rotation until three passingjumps are thus indicated and stop at the fourth; (2) then releaseindicator Z and press indicator T, and continue,

rotation of dial until two jumps of the indicator indicate 20- 80,stopping at the lat-v ter; (3) release indicator, T, and again pressindicator Z and rotate dial to left to 0 four times; (4) releaseindicator Z and again press indicator T, and continue left rotationuntil the indicator has contacted with the 10-90 notch; (5) then releaseindicator T and press indicator U and continue rotation until theindicator indicates three notches, stopping at third,being 18, on theleft hand count; (6) then release indicator U,

press indicator Z and turn the dial back to 0,

and turn the dial back to 0 three times, etc.

ranged in line respectively with the graduations and adapted bymanipulation to project an indicating point into contactwith either setof graduations at will.

2. In a combination look, a rotatable dial provided with graduationsupon its surface, arranged in concentric annular spaces, and acorresponding series of indicating devices in line respectively withsaid graduations, and adapted by manipulation to project an indicatingpoint into contact with either set of graduations at the will of theoperator.

3. In a combination look, a rotatable dial having graduations on itsunderside, a chambered dial-seat having a correspondingly elevated rimand an indicating lever projected radially through said rim into thechamber and adapted by externalmanipulation to project a contact pointagainst the graduations.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM T. BEN HAM. iVitnesses:

ALICE L. TILDERLEY, LEWIS M. HOSEA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. G. i

